The Caveman's Back
by IlovesMesomeGlee
Summary: Sebastian's life takes a very unexpected turn when he enters an alleged haunted house. Inside he finds something that will upend the rest of his life. Sebofsky with a few other characters. Maybe OCs. Sebastian S., D. Karofsky. Rated T. I Do not own Glee.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello Everyone!**

 **I have a new story to share with you. I have had this idea in my head for a few days now so I decided to share with you. I know I have a terrible track record at updating other stories once I start them and I apologize for that (They will get done, I'm a slow writer) Nevertheless I hope this doesn't deter you from reading this. I hope you give this a chance. :)**

 **Anyway on to the story... This is something I wanted to play around with for a while; it gets DARK and DISTURBING and involves abuse and neglect. But not to fear. It won't be like that for long. :)**

 **If this isn't your cup of tea... I suggest you click out now. You have been warned.**

 **I've wanted to write horror for the longest time and step out of my comfort zone, so I finally have the balls to do so. Lol**

 **This story has horror (some not a lot.) Angst, Drama, Friendship, Romance. Rated T.**

 **I don't own anything except a few OC's. All other Glee Characters mentioned belong to Fox and Ryan Murphy.**

 **Sebastian is 23 here, as you will read. He's never met Blaine or any of the Warblers, which means he never went to Dalton.**

 **I'm using real locations in the real Lima, Ohio. Also there is a REAL legend of a creepy old house on Hadsell Road in Bath Township. But I'm using it fictiously here. :)**

 **This is a Sebofsky pairing.**

 **Anyway with all that out the way... Lol! I hope you enjoy! :)**

Chapter 1

He found he liked these nighttime bike rides. There were hardly any cars on those country roads and the feel of wind on his face and the burning in his thighs were both oddly refreshing. He could even arrogantly remove his hands and cradle his belly as long as the road was straight.

And straight it was. Country roads were always flat in the northwest Ohio countryside near Lima. Stars shone above in cloudless skies and he was free. Free of confinements, free of responsibility, and most importantly, free from his boring life.

Of course, he couldn't escape his ego. When you're an attractive, young gay man, you have social opportunities that get you everywhere. And he absolutely knew this.

Rounding a very brief curve on Hadsell Road, Sebastian was nearing his modest home. It was a simple, one-story house firmly nestled in Bath Township. He had mixed feelings about his home. Sure it was his but his father bought it. Never mind the added pressure of a mortgage and a roof that needed repair. That pretty much forced Sebastian to give up his failing dream of being an actor and come back home to live the boring, white collar existence he tried so hard to avoid. With a quick shake of his head, Sebastian ignored the semantics of the situation, along with an old, heavily dilapidated house off the road. And right when he passed it, only twenty yards or so from his house, he heard that sound again; the reverberations that annoyed him ever since he moved there a few weeks prior.

Howls. Or growls. Or...something. Seemed like every night he heard dogs or coyotes or maybe even wolves sounding off in the night. Usually, the howls were just annoying. Every once in a while, they sounded sad. But they ALL got on Sebastian's last nerve. And it was difficult to pinpoint where exactly they were coming from.

Riding up his driveway, he rode his bike to the garage door and when he opened the door, that's when he heard that _DAMN LOUD_ noise again!

 _Awooooooo! Woooooo!_

Sebastian couldn't take it! As he opened the garage door he threw his bike inside, not even bothering to lock it up properly and slammed the door shut.

" _Shuuuuuuuut uuuuuup!"_ The twenty three year old screamed as loudly as he could and since no one really lived anywhere within two miles, Sebastian could yell as loud as he wanted without "disturbing" the neighbors. That was one of the perks of having no neighbors – he could do whatever he wanted, no judgments or whispering from others.

He took a moment, slightly out of breath and listened closely... The noise stopped. Complete and utter silence. Sebastian grinned when he thought he won.

 _THANK GOD,_ Sebastian thought as he wiped his sweaty left brow.

Not even taking two steps toward his modest home Sebastian heard what sounded like chains and more howling!

 _Awoooooo! Wooooo!_

Sebastian's face fell in defeat. He was too frustrated to care about the whimpering and it didn't even peak his interest to go explore the mysterious noise. With his head hung low and shoulders hunched, Sebastian left his garage and headed straight into his home leaving the ruckus behind. He slammed his front door as the cries continued. He was just too damn tired to care.

"I give up, you win..." Sebastian whispered as he went to pass out from exhaustion on his bed.

.

 _Woooooo! Awwwwwwooooo!_

"I have to work in the morning…" He angrily muttered to himself as he put a pillow over his ears. It seemed like anything he tried, he just couldn't drown out the noise outside.

The howls and growls kept him up half the night. Sebastian didn't know what to do. It was driving him nuts. But still he stayed in bed wishing it would go away. It didn't.

 _Is there NO end to this?!_ Sebastian angrily thought as the noise seem to get louder and louder.

The howls and growls continued through the night.

.

Although Sebastian had only been working there a week or so, he should've been used to office protocol. He wasn't. He heavily sighed as he used his badge three times to get to his cubicle. Then, he deposited his belongings on his desk and glared at the stack of purchasing paperwork waiting for him.

Day after day after day…. This was Sebastian's life now and he couldn't have been more miserable. That's the daily grind for you.

An hour passed. Maybe an hour and a half. His now cold coffee stared back at him as he seemed lost in the black liquid. That's when he noticed his eyes were drooping. And drooping. And drooping….

"Rough night?"

Sebastian nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Joel standing at his cubicle. Leaning against the panel, Joel just cockily smiled at him, thinking he was the funniest man alive. His pristine, pressed white shirt nearly blinded Sebastian and Joel smiled even wider.

"Ha, ha funny man." Sebastian replied. He swiveled in his chair to greet the visitor. Despite Joel's lack of apparent taste, he was quite handsome in Sebastian's eyes.

"Well, don't fall asleep at your desk." Joel loudly said, plopping down in Sebastian's guest chair. "You'll get fired."

 _COMPANY MAN,_ Sebastian thought. Joel was no longer very attractive.

"That actually sounds very appealing." Sebastian said, reaching for a stack of grant proposals, purchase requisitions, budget appropriations for the next fiscal year, accounts payables, accounts receivables, refunds, and more filing than a human being should be asked to do.

"Wellllllll…." Joel swiveled in the chair, looking up at the ceiling and then back at him. "It's not _EVERYONE_ who can get a job here thanks to his daddy-"

"Is there something I can help you with?"

Joel came to a stop, clasping his hands over his chest. "Well, I basically just wanted to say hi."

Sebastian turned to him. "Hi."

"Hi!"

Joel giggled. Sebastian didn't.

"So," Joel continued, like they were the best of friends, "why are you so tired today?"

"Couldn't sleep." And as if on cue, Sebastian yawned.

"Why not?"

Sebastian momentarily closed his eyes and then opened them to see Joel looking like he was genuinely concerned. _COMPANY MAN,_ Sebastian thought.

"There's like…something howling at night."

"What?!"

"You heard me." Sebastian reached for a purchase requisition. "I went for a bike ride last night and it was so nice, so en the howling started up. It was annoying. I wish someone would call ODNR and have them take care of the coyotes or whatever they are."

"Woah." Joel said. "Coming across mighty bitchy there, Seb."

 _YOU AIN'T SEEN BITCHY YET,_ Sebastian thought. _AND MY NAME IS SEBASTIAN._

"Night after night after night…" Sebastian sighed and reached for his coffee cup. "I'm getting some coffee." He stood up and expected Joel to as well. He didn't. So, Sebastian walked past the cubicle invader without another word. Of course, he only got two steps away before he heard Joel get up and follow him.

They walked down the long, funeral home-like hallway to the common area. The place reeked of processed breakfast and burnt coffee. Sebastian nearly vomited. "Wait a minute," Joel began, standing almost in front of the coffee maker. "You said…coyotes?"

"Or something." Sebastian poured a fresh cup of coffee and offered some to Joel, who silently declined the offer with a wave of his manicured hand. "I should probably just call the police or the ODNR."

"Why the ODNR?"

Sebastian was already tired of this conversation, but he put on his best, office political front for Joel.

"Because that's who takes care of wild animals. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources." Sebastian took a sip of his black coffee and reached for the sugar bowl. "Just shoot the fuckin' animals."

"Woah, woah, woah!" Joel protested. "Isn't that a bit extreme?"

"This isn't a time for a PETA lecture you know!"

Joel stood up straight and glared at him. Sebastian knew he went too far and immediately sighed.

"Sorry, Joel. I'm just really tired."

They turned to return to his cubicle.

"So, do your neighbors complain?"

"What neighbors?"

They arrived at the cubicle and returned to their designated chairs.

"What do you mean 'what neighbors'?"

"That means," Sebastian reached for the same purchase requisition again, in hopes of getting Joel out of his hair. "that I live alone and have no neighbors."

"Where in the hell do you live?"

Sebastian took another sip of his coffee and was grateful that he added sugar. "On Hadsell Road. In Bath Township."

Suddenly, Joel's eyes went wide and he leaped out of his seat towards Sebastian!

"You mean to tell me," Joel began with sudden serious, "that you live near that haunted house?"

"What haunted house?"

"You never heard of it?" Joel slowly sat back down. "Oh dude. You gotta move."

"What? Why?"

"Dude, some weird shit went down there about ten years ago. Weird, fuckin' shit man."

"Like what?" Sebastian realized he wasn't going to get out of this conversation. So, he dropped the purchase requisition back on its original stack.

"I don't know man, but you gotta move."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Joel. I'm not going to move just because of an…urban legend."

"It's not an urban legend, man! It's for real!" Joel took a breath to calm down. "How close are you to that haunted house?"

"I don't know. Maybe twenty yards." And then, a shit-eating grin adorned Sebastian's face. "I can see it and Russia from my house!"

"Dude! This is no laughing matter!"

Seeing that his attempt at his Sarah Palin joke went unappreciated, he sighed. Loudly. "Well, I can't move."

"Dude." Joel scooted closer to him, lowering his voice for some reason. "This howling or whatever you hear. Does it come from that house?"

Sebastian thought for a second. He only seemed to hear it at night and it did seem to come from that general direction. It seemed logical that the howling was coming from that house, but still…

"I don't know. It could be."

"Move." Joel abruptly stood up and turned to leave. " _ASAP_ , dude." He left.

Sebastian chuckled to himself. "There is no way I'm gonna move…. Then again, I'm talking to myself. So I might just be going crazy."

After a quick shake of his head and another sip of coffee, Sebastian Smythe dove into his new world of numbers and money. He didn't have time for haunted house stories. After all, he had a job to do.

.

He tripped. As he opened his front door, Sebastian's exhaustion caught up to him as he nearly fell crossing the door's threshold. With accounting numbers and codes and funds and processes and policies clouding his brain, Sebastian barely comprehended shutting the front door. He waddled towards the kitchen, dropping off his belongings and even his dress clothes as he went. While his five-minute meal absorbed radiation in the microwave, he vowed to not sit down on the couch just yet.

He might not get up.

Sebastian switched the TV on. Some silly show about a bunch of kids in a high school glee club was on and he wasn't interested. Half-lidded eyes barely focused on anything and he briefly considered getting on the internet or changing the channel or clipping coupons or _SOMETHING_ to keep him awake…

 _Ding_! Dinner was ready.

Laboriously, he got up and retrieved his microwaved meal and ate it quickly. It was unevenly heated and a burst of hot food momentarily woke him up. But it didn't last. Sebastian didn't even remember what he ate.

Not a half hour after he consumed his dinner, he flopped on the bed. He still had a work shirt on but at least he was in boxers. A small smile formed on his face.

This. This is what he needed. Peaceful, wonderful sleep…

 _Owwwwwwwwwww! Ayyyyyeeeeeee!_

"Oh dear God," Sebastian muttered, turning his head on the pillow. "Not again."

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and walked up to his window. A cloudless sky greeted him and the fresh, spring air felt good. Sebastian took a deep breath, inhaling the unsullied country air.

 _Ayyyyyeeeeeee!_

Sebastian's head flipped towards the sound.

"I'll be damned." He said aloud. "Joel was right."

.

Just like his job, Sebastian's evenings and nights fell into a routine as well. When he got home from work, he struggled to function. Exhaustion coupled with the creeping blackness in the corners of his vision made it nearly impossible to do simple tasks, like laundry. And when it was time for bed, he developed routines to combat the loud ruckus at night.

One night, he put earbuds in his ears and played music and sounds designed to soothe and invite sleep.

That didn't work.

Another night, he nailed soundproof shielding on his window.

That didn't work either.

Sebastian Smythe was running out of options.

Night after night after night, he struggled to get good sleep. And then, one night, he heard something peculiar. At first, he couldn't figure out what the howling was. But it was the first indication that whatever or whoever was making that noise might not be an animal at all. It sounded almost…sad. Or amused. Or…

Human.

His sanity struggled against supernatural explanations and that allegedly haunted house was empty. Supposedly.

So after the sixth night in a row of restless sleep, Sebastian wildly opened the window.

"Shut the fuck up!"

For a few seconds, silence. Wonderful, soothing silence. And then he heard something that shook him to the core.

"Is that…" Sebastian said. "crying?"

And the howling started right back up again. He had had enough. After he slammed the window down, he raced to his computer. He opened up Google and searched for the _**Ohio Department of Natural Resources**_. Sebastian knew they could take care of wild animals, howling in the night.

But something bothered him about this decision. The last few times he heard the sounds, they didn't sound like any animal _HE'D_ ever heard of.

And just when the crying/laughing sound ended, the howling started right back up with a vengeance!

Sebastian groaned and dropped his head in his hands. After a few breaths, he slowly lifted his head, letting his fingers slide on his face. He opened his eyes and saw the _**Ohio Department of Natural Resources**_ webpage staring at him. He scrolled down to the _'Contact Us'_ section and found a toll-free number of 'wild animals'. He moved the mouse to that, watching the cursor change to an inviting finger on his screen. Sebastian stared at it, hoping to get an answer. He just didn't know what to do.

 _Owwwwwwwwww! Ayyeeeeeee!_

"That's it."

Suddenly, Sebastian got up and with surprising energy, changed into an old pair of blue jeans, t-shirt, and hiking boots. After that, he bolted towards the kitchen and grabbed a flashlight. And as he slammed the front door closed, he stared in the direction of the haunted house.

"I gotta find out what you are." Sebastian said as he crossed Hadsell Road. "I gotta get some sleep!" He briefly considered bringing some kind of weapon and almost turned around to grab a knife. But something told him not to and just find out what the hell that noise was. Determinedly, he strode through the fields, the light from the flashlight stabbing the air. His boots practically stomped into the earth and he could see the house from a distance. It actually wasn't that far from his own house but it was a considerable distance from Hadsell Road. Sebastian was making good time as he finally arrived.

It must've been a beauty back in its day. A two-story farmhouse, with a wrap-around porch and at least five chimneys. For a moment, he stared at what was at one time magnificent, now dilapidated and should be condemned. And as his flashlight scoured the roof, cornice, and crooked shutters, he heard it again.

That sound. That now horribly _LOUD_ sound. It was definitely coming from this rundown, blackened, and weather-beaten farmhouse.

He took a step on the porch stairs and heard the creaking of the wood. It pierced his ears and it was as if the world was collectively holding its breath, it was so quiet. But with step after step after step, the wood beneath him creaked and groaned louder and louder.

When Sebastian got to the porch, he used the banister to steady himself and it promptly broke. The heavy banister crashed onto the steps, cracking the wood in three different places.

"Shit." Sebastian muttered.

" _Shhhhiiii_ …."

His eyes widened. He didn't breathe. But he did move his flashlight towards the sound and found it pointed right at the front door.

"Fuck me."

 _"Fuuuummeee…"_

He froze, breathing and pulse practically exploding out of him. Sebastian Smythe had never been this scared before. But he needed answers. So, after a deep breath, he took five steps and knocked on the door.

 _Ayyyeeeeeeee!_

The house seemed to shake with that sound. He covered his ears and closed his eyes, desperately fighting off the urge to run. Instead, he reached within himself for inner strength and again knocked. This time, no sound.

But the door moved.

Puzzled, Sebastian knocked again and the door slid open. Creaks and groans from old hinges sent shivers down his spine. And yet the door slowly opened, into total darkness and stillness. He crossed the dusty threshold and entered the house.

Immediately, Sebastian sneezed. And sneezed. And sneezed again. And then he finished with a very loud and shaking sneeze. And far off in the distance, he heard a very unexpected sound…

Laughter. Short and quirky sounding laughter. _NOW_ he knew he wasn't alone. Fresh rivers of shivers coursed through his body and he raised the flashlight.

A magnificent staircase rose to the second floor in front of him. A once-elegant room that probably served as a seating room was to his right. And to his left was a bigger room, probably a living room. He stepped to his right, hearing floorboards creak below him. There was no more sound at all.

Each step brought him further into the house, into a life that wasn't his. A gorgeous bookcase was along the far wall and an enormous fireplace, black and dusty, aligned the far wall. As he crossed the room, a huge dining room table was in front of him and he sneezed again.

Laughter. Short, child-like laughter. He knew he heard it from behind him. Wildly, he turned around and grabbed a marble candlestick from the dining room table. Sebastian was officially creeped out and he didn't like the eerie laughter. Not one bit!

He ignored the kitchen. The amount of mold and dust there would've overwhelmed his immune system more than the whole house already did. He turned to his right and took two steps near the main staircase. And as he neared the basement stairs, Joel's terrifying story came to life.

Chains. Sebastian distinctly heard chains rattling or something. Wide-eyed and baffled, he raised the flashlight in to the direction of the sound and found himself going down the basement stairs. Step by step by momentous step, floorboards creaked and all chain sounds stopped.

"Mmmmmm…"

Sebastian's entire body shook. Whoever or whatever was in that basement did _NOT_ want him to go down there. He stared at his hand – the one that would have to open that door. He really, really, really didn't want to. But he'd come this far.

The light from the flashlight shook as he steadied himself. Finally, after what felt like years, Sebastian reached for the doorknob and turned it.

It was locked.

 _"fuuuuumeeee…"_

Sebastian's knee-jerk reactions kicked in. "I amuse you, huh?"

Laugher! Sheer, child-like laughter for just a second came from behind the basement door.

Someone was in there!

"Hello?" Sebastian called out. "Is...is anyone down there?"

Silence.

A little frustrated, Sebastian tried the door handle. It wouldn't open but didn't exactly act like it was locked.

"Old fuckin' door." He muttered.

"Ollllldooorrrr."

Sebastian chuckled and couldn't believe it. So, with fixed determination, he hammered away at the door handle with the candlestick. And with nearly every blow, he heard weak crying from the other side.

Now, the whole situation changed. This urban legend of a haunted house turned out to be a rescue. Sebastian had to fix this!

 _Wham, wham, wham!_ Each time the candlestick connected with the handle, it bent more and more. Finally, the handle collapsed and the door swung open. Sebastian tossed the marble candle to the ground, he ignored the loud _BANGING_ noise it made. He had more important things to think about at the moment.

He almost vomited. The noxious fumes slammed his nostrils, he sneezed, and had to hold down his gorge. Whatever it was that caused these odors seemed different from the rest of the house.

Sebastian did not like this at all.

Eventually, he did his best to control his stomach and nerves. He cautiously entered the room. Like many basements in old houses, the ceiling was low and littered with cobwebs. He had to duck many times and he endlessly swatted his arm to avoid eating anything in the dirty air. He coughed and realized something – there were no sounds at all.

He took a step to the right. It was incredibly dark, even with the flashlight invading the room.

"Hello?" Sebastian called out. No response. He took another step, moving the flashlight around shelves and boxes. "Hello?" Again no response. And when he peered around the corner and took a step forward, he tripped!

Sebastian screamed as he hit the floor, the flashlight scurrying away! He was now in complete darkness, save for the lonely beam of light on the floor. His elbow and hips hurt from the impact on the floor and he crawled towards the beam of light.

And as he made his way forward, he looked where the light was shining.

Sebastian had never screamed that loudly before! There was a heavy chain, bolted at least four times into the concrete wall. There appeared to be blood on the chain just as Sebastian reached the flashlight. Collecting himself, he stood up and followed the chain. Nervously, shakily, the light moved along the links of the chain until he finally could see what was attached.

It was a man! A YOUNG man! But Sebastian couldn't get a better look as the light waved in the air.

Sebastian screamed again, took two steps back, and tripped on whatever it was that he tripped on before.

"Oh no, no, no!" He yelled. He wildly looked around him. The room was so unbelievably dark that it took him a while to find the flashlight's light. His body ached from the second impact but he ignored the pain. Slowly, he got up and walked towards the light.

Suddenly, the light moved!

Sebastian watched it wiggle on the floor and with held breath, watched it dance in the air!

He could hardly breathe. He couldn't move. And just as the light rose even further in the air, the chains rattled even more. Sebastian wanted to cover his ears, bolt out of there, and go back to bed. But his body wouldn't let him! He just watched as the light rose further, stopped, and starting coming right towards him!

The chains rattled even more. He sensed someone getting closer to him and it frightened him beyond belief.

"H-hey." Sebastian said. "H-hey, you OK?"

The light came to a halt and then began to turn in the air. The person holding it didn't exactly know what they were doing with it as the light wavered in the air like a night club.

The young man giggled. Sebastian couldn't believe his ears when he distinctly heard that little laughter. And as the light made more wild revolutions in the air, the light turned and shone on the man. And for just an instant, Sebastian came face to face with this gaunt face of a hazel-eyed man.

He screamed, holding his hands over his eyes! Sebastian ran to the flashlight, scooped it up, and still terrified, shone it on the him. He screamed again, shielding his eyes.

Sebastian's eyes widened even further. He lowered the light towards the boy's impossibly thin chest, so they could see each other and not hurt either one.

"You…you're alive!" Sebastian exclaimed.

The man looked at him. "Yeeeeees."

.

 **AN: Well... That was scary! *Shivers* Should I continue? Let me know. Let me know what you think so far. Thank you for reading! Be kind. Have a nice day!-Ilovesmesomegleex3**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hi Everybody! Thank you soooo much for your kinds reviews! They are very very helpful and keep me going! X3!**

 **Thank you Dawofmorning and KDesai for reviewing! You both are awesome! :)**

 **Thank you KDesai for the follow and favorite. :)**

 **Now I have to explain something. I wasn't happy with the story's title at first and I changed it. For any of you Following my story, make sure you know the story's title has changed. "The Caveman's Back" is the REAL title! Thank you!**

 **This chapter is LONNNNNG! Lol! But it's worth it. We see Sebastian coming to the rescue for this poor guy trapped in the basement.**

 **Warning: This gets a little dark and disturbing. If this makes you uncomortable, you have been warned. Starts off where last chapter ended.** **This was getting WAY too long so I split up into two parts. Part two is coming up soon...**

 **Ihope you like it! And please be kind. Please review. :)-HAVE A NICE DAY!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEx3**

Chapter 1

I think I just shit my pants."

Sebastian struggled to take everything in. In just the last few minutes, the mystery of the Haunted House on Hadsell Road had been solved, but in a very unexpected way. Now, he was confronted with something that was way beyond his comfort zone.

Slowly, he raised the flashlight towards the young man. Sebastian heard whimpers.

"Hey, hey." He cooed. "Shh, shh…" The whimpers stopped and Sebastian slowly raised the light again. When the light hit the man's belly, Sebastian could see more of what was in front of him.

The young man was chained by the throat to the wall! He had one arm free and the other one was attached to a thick chain further down. The light involuntarily started to shake as Sebastian's heart was breaking. Hollow cheeks and pale skin adorned the man's face and Sebastian could smell human waste.

 _NO, NO,NO,NO,NO…_

Everything about this was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong! But he didn't know what to do. Or what he should do. And eventually, as the light shook, it found its way towards the man's extremities and one thing became extremely clear.

Sebastian had to free this man.

Deep, probably infected marks were all along the man's throat and bound arm. Waves of sympathy drowned Sebastian and he was determined to take action.

Sebastian took a step towards him when suddenly, the man lunged at him with a frightened growl!

Terrified, Sebastian leaped back and tripped for the third time on whatever was on the floor! He landed hard and rolled to the side a little. Waves of some of the foulest smelling odors nearly made him vomit. He'd never smelled something so bad and there was definitely something very wrong with all of this. But when he looked up to get back up, he realized a dark shadow right above him.

The man was hovering a foot above him! Sebastian was stunned into wide-eyed silence. The flashlight was pretty far away, but enough of the light reached the man's body. Sebastian stared up into eyes that didn't seem threatening or terrifying. Just…curious. Or something.

The man turned his head to the left a little and looked at Sebastian's shoulder, arm, chest, throat, shoulder again, and back to the eyes. Then, the man leaned closer and Sebastian shook with terror!

"H-hey!" The scared prisoner said. "H-hey now. Easy… _Eeeeasyyy_ …"

Sebastian watched the man's eyes halfway close for a long moment and then open right back up. But that didn't stop the man from getting closer and closer! Sebastian could smell the fetid breath of the chained man. And that's when _THE_ most unexpected thing happened.

The boy started smelling Sebastian. He started at his neck, then throat, and finally, his face. He darted right back up, craned his head to the right for a second, and dropped it again to smell him! Sebastian was too creeped out to feel anything else. He'd never been… _SMELLED_ before.

Then, quite abruptly, the chained man rose above him and took a step back towards the wall, the clanging sounds following him everywhere. Sebastian scrambled to find the flashlight and when he did, he stared to raise it towards him.

"Noooo!"

Sebastian froze. "What?"

 _"Noooo…Lllligghht…. Huurrrrrtssss…"_

Sebastian blinked. Twice. Then heavily sighed. "Of course it does. How long have you been down here?"

The man didn't answer. Instead, they just stared at each other as best they could with the limited lighting. And then, a terrified thought hit Sebastian.

"Is the person who did this coming back?" He asked.

The chained man just looked at him and didn't respond. The barest beginnings of frustration were starting to set in Sebastian.

"Look, guy." Sebastian began. "This is important. If…whoever did this to you is still around, we have to get out of here!"

Again, no response – just the typical blinking and staring.

"Answer me!"

The chained man growled. Sebastian sighed. And above them, the world spun on its axis, unaware that a 'Nell'-like situation was occurring in little Lima, Ohio. Sebastian shook his head and focused back on whatever the task at hand really was.

"We need," Sebastian slowly said, "to get these off you." He pointed towards the rusted, iron clamp around the man's wrist. Bravely, Sebastian took a step towards the man.

No response.

He took another step.

No response.

One more full step and he'd be right in front of him…

Sebastian lifted his leg and the man growled.

"No!" Sebastian yelled, raising his index finger to the man's face. "No! I'm trying to help." The growling went on. " _NO!"_

Silence.

Sebastian almost smiled.

Well, truth be told, he _ALMOST_ smiled until the dawning realization of what just happened hit him. He was treating this mysterious man like a dog in training. And in many ways, it was. Befuddled beyond belief, Sebastian resumed his task of approaching him. And after he took that last step, he exhaled in relief.

"Good." Sebastian softly said, retrieving the flashlight. And then, he smiled. Suddenly, the man's eyes went wide, his jaw dropped, and he didn't even seem to be afraid of the light anymore. Without either one knowing it, the man hesitantly raised his hand, index finger extended. But Sebastian was confused and his smile faded.

The chained man groaned and even stomped his foot a little. Sebastian just looked at him until he figured out what the man wanted. So, Sebastian smiled again.

The man smiled back, his eyes joyous and teeth rotted. Foul breath and stunning hazel eyes greeted Sebastian. And that's when the man's index finger connected with Sebastian's cheek.

The boy giggled, even so far as to do a tiny happy dance. He pulled his finger off and touched the dimple again. Boyish giggles sounded odd in the dungeon-like basement. And while this was fun and all, Sebastian had a job to do.

What if whoever did this returned?

Gently, he clasped the boy's hand and pulled it away. A look of total astonishment covered the man's face and he stared at Sebastian in wonder.

"Now," Sebastian began, "I have to get a few things at my house. I'll be right back."

And when he just barely turned to go, the imprisoned boy pathetically whined, desperately clasping for his rescuer. Chains rattled right when Sebastian felt bony fingers on his sleeve. Stunned, Sebastian easily freed his hand only to have him reach for it again.

"What are you doing?" Sebastian asked. He just stared at the pathetic, dirty man, who seemed frantic as he reached for him. Grunts escaped the guy's mouth and his eyes couldn't have been wider. The chains around his hand and neck made a louder and louder racket. The whole scene made the guy look _TOO_ panicked. Too zombie-like. Too…

 _INHUMAN_.

"Stop!" Sebastian roared.

Surprisingly, the guy came to a complete stop and whined a little. Seb didn't want that either. He pursed his lips and tried again.

"I just need to…" Sebastian halted. He watched the fear, the doubt, and something else he couldn't identify emanate from that man's entire body. "OK, look." Sebastian put the flashlight in his other hand. The light absently shined on the guy's chest and Sebastian noticed he didn't complain. "I have to go. I have to get supplies," he took a step back, "for you to be free. I just can't let you-" he took another step back.

The guy suddenly lunged at him! Sebastian screamed as his hands were bound with surprising firmness. The light crashed onto the floor but Sebastian could see the wide, wild eyes of his captor.

"Let go! Let go! Let _ME GO!"_ Sebastian fought and fought. Finally, he twisted his arms and abruptly, the guy let go with a howl of pain! Sebastian quickly grabbed the light and looked at the guy holding his bound wrist. Rivulets of blood poured down to his hand and Sebastian could see the metal cutting into it. He tried to control his anger, but he had to be firm.

"Look," Sebastian began, "I have to _DO_ something about that!" The guy didn't seem to be listening. "Hey. Hey!" He looked up and Sebastian was crushed at the pain in his eyes. "I'm going to get some things to help you." Bravely, Sebastian took a step forward and _THIS_ time, the guy didn't shrink back. "But listen to me," Sebastian's voice dropped to softness. "I'm only gonna be gone a little while." The guy's features softened as well even though he was still obviously in pain.

Sebastian took a step back and predictably the guy whined. And then, he looked down at his injured arm and held it up to Sebastian, like a little kid with a cut for his mommy. Sebastian fought off the urge to smile.

"So, look…" Sebastian took another step backwards. More whines, more widened eyes. "I'm gonna be back. I really am."

The guy looked like he was trying to say something. His mouth moved and maybe his tongue flickered, but Sebastian wasn't sure. And just when Sebastian took one more step in reverse, the guy unexpectedly howled!

"Stop that!"

The guy did just that.

"I'm gonna be back."

Suddenly, a recognition of some kind developed in the filthy guy's mind. "Baaa?"

"No. Back. _BACK_. I'm gonna be right _BACK_."

"Baa…"

"Back."

"Baaaa…"

"Back." Sebastian took a step in reverse, closer to the staircase.

"Baaaa….c?"

"BaCK." Another step, and then he put on a smile. The guy was getting it.

"Baaa…c…k?"

"Yes!" Sebastian exclaimed, taking another step, smile widening, and relief almost making him collapse. The guy widely smiled and seemed much calmer.

"Back."

"Baaack."

"Back!" Sebastian was one step away from the stairs.

"Back."

"Back!"

"Back…Back…Back…Back…Back…"

Sebastian had already shut the basement door behind him.

The very first thought in his head as he bolted towards the front door was that there seemed to be dust everywhere. He couldn't escape it! The horrible and offensive dirt and grime clung to the staircase, floor, and tables, and even the walls. He just had to get out of there!

But just as he reached for the dilapidated doorknob, Sebastian came to a full stop. Besides the only sound in the house being the guy's echoes of _'back!',_ his footsteps were the only ones in the house. He peered up the once-grand staircase to the second floor and the dust was undisturbed. Turning around, he walked towards the kitchen but couldn't enter due to his allergies. And still, nothing had been touched in quite a while. He ran back towards the front door and realized that every single room hadn't been touched or walked on for years!

That's when it hit him…

That guy had been alone…in that basement…for a very, very long time.

Waves of sadness engulfed him as he reached for the cracked doorknob. When he turned it, it fell to the floor. And with that, the door slowly creaked open under a pale moonlight. Fresh air was greedily gulped and he all but ran out of the house.

He leaped over the broken banister, took two long steps and was suddenly in a yard. His flashlight wiggled along the ground, but he didn't really need it. The moon provided enough light. Sebastian found his eyes drifting up towards the celestial body, as he high-stepped through the field. But he couldn't stare too long at the hypnotizing moon – he had to watch where he was going!

And that brought him back to reality – and his thoughts.

A man. Not a coyote. Not a wolf. Not a haunted h-

Joel was wrong! Everyone was wrong! There was a guy named…well, it suddenly occurred to him he didn't know it. And the gaunt eyes and thin body. He was so dirty! The chains and the blood! Joel was wrong. _SO_ wrong. The bloody hands the smells the chains and Joel was wrong with bloody thin beautiful moon dirty oh so dirty blood first aid kit-

Sebastian came to a full stop, not even realizing he was breathing heavy. After he closed his eyes, he took at least five deep breaths. Each one was shaky, but got a little easier as he went. Then, he took a sixth. And then a seventh. A soft, cool breeze blew by and he opened his eyes, craning his head towards the only comfort in that lonely field – the moon.

It was incredibly shiny in its waxing state. A truly bright and stunning sight. He immediately thought anyone would be comfortable out here in this unused field. Maybe even that guy.

The guy! Sebastian resumed his task. But this time, he was heading home with a bit more composure and clear determination. He thought aloud what he would do…

"Get a first aid kit. Then, another flashlight. Oh! And I'll bet he's hungry. I'll bring him a sandwich and clean water. I might have some milk. Well, I _MIGHT_ have some milk left. I'll have to find a hacksaw and maybe some sturdy steel clippers. Ooooh, I hope their sharp. And I'm sure he'll-"

Sebastian went on and on as he highstepped some weeds, only one ditch away from his house. And as he crossed it, he looked up and saw the only road sign in the vicinity of his house –

It was an arrow narrowly pointing to the right. A guide for a slow curve in the road. It wasn't much help to him at the moment. So, as his eyes drifted down, he noticed that a little appreciation sign was posted just below it, indicating that the sign was partially funded by the Lima Police Department.

 _The police!_ He came to a stop almost in the middle of Hadsell Road. He wondered if he should call the police. Or social services. Or somebody! Doubts started to nag his brain – _IS THIS THE RIGHT THING TO DO? SHOULD I CALL SOMEBODY? JUST BECAUSE I LIKE HIM AND FEEL SORRY FOR HIM, CAN I REALLY…TAKE CARE OF HIM?_

And as if a bolt of lightning shot through his body, his last thought was all he could think – _take care of him, take care of him, take care of him._

He bolted towards his house and awkwardly opened the door. Sebastian hadn't realized the flashlight in his hand was still on. He quickly turned it off and turned on the lights in his house. Like a madman robber, he ran to the kitchen and sloppily made two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Sebastian's brain scattered towards bringing fresh water or milk. Water of milk. Water or milk. Another flashlight. Bedding. Water or-

 _"DAMMIT!"_ Sebastian roared. He came to a complete stop in his kitchen. _THIS IS NUTS!_ He thought. But then he remembered how sweet the chained boy had been to him. How afraid and even tender. And his paternal instincts kicked in once again. But _THIS_ time, with a much clearer purpose.

He darted out of the kitchen and to the linen closet to grab a couple of blankets. Then, he ran back through the house and out to his garage, snatching up his dad's old metal clippers and a hacksaw. After securing those, he ran back into the house and to the kitchen, filling a big container with fresh water. Finally, he focused on the most important thing he thought the boy needed – a first aid kit.

After returning to the kitchen with all of his supplies, he placed everything into the blankets and rolled it up, like an army knapsack. On his way out of the house, he grabbed another flashlight and he was out the door!

And just as he was sprinting out of the front door, a thought occurred to him.

 _His bike!_

He'd get there much faster on his bike. Lugging the full blankets over his shoulder, he ran back to his garage and mounted his bike. Then, after closing his garage, he started off on his trip back to that haunted house. The blankets were awkward and bulky over his shoulder, making it hard to steer. And Hadsell Road wasn't exactly the smoothest road, especially with his bundle.

As he rode, those nagging thoughts haphazardly came back. He just wasn't convinced this was the right thing to do. How would he…rehabilitate this guy? Was it possible? How long was he down there? How did he survive? Is this right?!

He almost missed his turn onto the house's driveway. It was obvious no one had used the bumpy and even pothole-laden path. Weeds that had filtered through were so high they scraped along Sebastian's knees! He even had to swerve a little to avoid crashing.

Finally, he reached the house and let his bike fall to the ground. Sebastian raced up the front steps, carefully avoiding the collapsed banister. And as he opened the door…well, he didn't know what to expect. But he knew one thing – he _HAD_ to be patient. So, after a few deep breaths, he opened the front door.

He sneezed. And far off into the house, he heard excited, boyish giggles! So, of course Sebastian had to smile.

He closed the front door as best he could. Then, he walked towards the basement door. And right when he opened it, he heard the giggling intensify.

"Back! Back! Back!" the boy cheered.

The demeanor of the situation changed completely. Sebastian, no longer afraid and on a mission, darted as best he could down the dark staircase. And as he walked towards him, he carefully avoided the lump or whatever the awful smelling thing was and approached the guy.

His smile was all Sebastian needed. Using his flashlight, he looked on the floor for any clean place to drop his bundle. But as he moved the light, he discovered how the guy survived. It nearly made Seb vomit.

Literally dozens of rat and mice corpses littered the floor. Many looked half-eaten or even more. Hoping to avoid that mess he moved his flashlight to the corner of the basement, near the chains on the wall. And he regretted that.

A pile of human waste.

Sebastian turned away, holding his hand over his mouth. How could _ANYONE_ survive in these conditions? And then, the most surprising sound filled the room.

A sympathetic moan. Sebastian turned around to see the boy with a sad, almost embarrassed expression on his face.

This was too much! Sebastian couldn't even look at the boy, even as his moans and groans intensified. It was such a disgusting, filthy sight!

That's when Sebastian felt hard, bony fingers on his sleeve. Seb turned and now, the boy had a needy, almost pleading look in his eyes. As best he could, Sebastian Smythe took a deep breath, ignoring the horrid odors, and resumed his task.

After he squatted down on the floor Indian style (and making sure he wasn't sitting on rodent remains), he opened up his bundle. The boy nearly jumped for joy. His eyes could probably see the contents a lot better than Sebastian. Still, the flashlight exposed everything he brought the guy and one-by-one, Sebastian got to work.

Sebastian grabbed the two sandwiches and presented them to the now sitting guy. He struggled with the neck harness but managed to sit anyway. A pang of remorse shot through Sebastian until he saw the smile on the guy's face. At first, the guy didn't know what to think of the proffered food. So, he hesitantly took it, smelling it over and over. Finally, he took a cautious bite.

After a second or two, the guy looked at Sebastian and smiled as brightly as he could. Then, he devoured the sandwiches. Sebastian was astonished at the guy's speed with eating. He was so busy chewing he didn't notice the water bottle Seb held up for him.

It didn't take very long for the sandwiches to be eaten. And when the last bite was swallowed, a loud belch escaped the guy's mouth. He giggled and Sebastian merely smiled, still holding out the bottle.

But _THIS_ time, he looked at it suspiciously. At first, Seb was confused. He should just take the water bottle-

 _OH_ , Sebastian thought, _THE BOTTLE._ So, Sebastian demonstrated how to open it and how to drink from it, allowing some water to go into his mouth. He was surprised at how thirsty he was. But instead, he pulled the bottle away and handed it over. Unfortunately, that didn't deter the guy's suspicion. He looked at it and turned it over, water falling out of the open spout. So, Sebastian got up.

"No, no." Sebastian began. "Like I showed you." Sebastian demonstrated it for him again. And this time, the guy got it. He greedily drank from it, some of the water spilling on whatever the guy was wearing. And when it was empty, he swallowed the last of it.

"Good." Sebastiansupportively said. Predictably, the guy smiled, like he won a prize at the county fair. Sebastian's heart just warmed at the sight. This was this guy's first time at having decent food and clean water for who knows how long. Unfortunately, it became bittersweet. That also meant that the guy had no choice but to eat rodents to survive. And use a corner of the basement to…

Sebastian shook his head and just watched the guy lick his chops and smile and smile. So, without a second thought, he brought out the metal clippers and hacksaw.

The guy screamed! With wide eyes and arms covering his torso, he shrunk back against the wall. Sebastian stood up, which made the guy scream even louder!

"No, no!" Sebastian said. He took a step back, nearly tripping on that annoying, smelly bundle, and started to approach the guy. That was a mistake. Screams turned to shrieks!

"No, no!" Seb repeated. "Hey, hhhhey.…. It's OK. It's…OK."

That did no good. The guy still was smashed against the wall and wouldn't budge. Sebastian held the flashlight towards him, but knew the guy was terrified of the tools.

"I just need to cut you free." Sebastian began. "It's OK. The metal is old and you need your cuts treated." He wondered why he began saying that. The guy had already demonstrated he couldn't understand complex sentences.

Sebastian was at a loss. He _HAD_ to free this guy! But how? In frustration, he turned away, letting the flashlight swing light to the corner of the basement. He didn't want to see _THAT_ anymore, so he started to swing back towards the guy when the light helped provide Sebastian's answer.

The wall! He knew what to do.

"See?" Sebastian began, "See? I'm gonna…" He took a step and the guy didn't move. Another step. Still another step. Sebastian thought he heard growls but wasn't sure. Sebastian was almost to the wall!

"It's OK. Shhhh… Shhhh…" Still more steps towards the wall. He almost reached it when the guy clearly moaned. But he didn't growl.

The guy was afraid.

One. More. Step.

More fear on his face.

Sebastian finally got to the wall. From this angle, the boy should've been right beside him. Sebastian's footing was unstable – he was probably standing on rodent corpses. But his determined self blocked this thought as he ever so slowly raised the hacksaw.

The guy went silent, watching him with the care of a cornered animal. And in many ways, he was. So, Sebastian slowly, slowly raised the hacksaw against the chain connected to the wall. After he glanced at the guy, Sebastian began cutting the loose metal.

The sounds of the cutting metal seared the room and the guy shrunk to the floor in terror!

"Hey, hey!" Sebastian cooed, still cutting. "See? I'm gonna set you free."

He kept cutting. The guy kept watching. More shrill, metal-tearing sounds. More cuts. More careful watching. More, more, more…

Suddenly and unexpectedly, the metal gave way and the chain fell to the floor! Both men were astonished at what happened and they stared at the chain. But Sebastian seized the moment.

"See? You're free."

The guy blinked twice. _"Freeeee…."_

"Yes! Free!" Sebastian smiled. But the guy was still trying to process this. Bravely, he stared at the chain, looping it a little. It scraped across the floor and was gradually gathered up in his hand. He looked over at him.

"Free!" Sebastian exclaimed with a smile.

The barest traces of a smile and clarity showed on his face. He looked back down at the chain and then at the wall fixture. And then, he took a step towards Sebastian. And then another.

But, not exactly. Instead, the guy's main destination was to the wall fixture. Politely, Sebastian backed away as he reached it. He moved his finger over it, ignoring the sharp edges from the hacksaw's work. Over and over the guy stroked it, still holding the chain. Quite unexpectedly, he looked over at Sebastian and generated the biggest, soppiest grin of his life!

 _"Freeeeeee!"_

"That's right. You're free. You. Are. Free."

The guy was absolutely giddy! He dropped the chain and just stared at his liberator. Sebastian smiled back. They each took a moment to revel in the happiness of the moment. The guy bravely took steps forward, adjusting his head around his neck bind.

Sebastian's smile slowly faded. He knew this part would be harder. Regardless, the guy was so incredibly happy, looking at his dark basement with a freedom that surprised him. He took more steps forward. They were awkward since his muscles were so atrophied.

Meanwhile, Sebastian deftly reached down for his metal clippers. And just as he stood upright, the guy suddenly shoved him! Sebastian crashed to the floor, practically landing on top of the bundle on the floor.

"Noooooo!" The guy kept bellowing this over and over, staring at Sebastian and his clippers. Sebastian couldn't get his bearings straight. And when he started to get back up, the guy shoved him back down!

"Noooooo! Nooooo! Noooooooo!" And then with animal wildness, he bellowed in primal fear and feral veracity _, "NOOOOOO MORRRRE MOMMMMMAAAA!"_

 _._

 **AN: Poor guy! :( That was hard to write. More will be explained later. If you have questions let me know. Thank you for reading! :) More to come soon... I'll try to update as soon as I can. Have a Nice Day!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey Everyone! :) How is everyone? :)**

 **First of all, a VERY special THANK YOU to KDesai for ALWAYS reviewing my stories and leaving very sweet reviews! Thank you for the support. This chapter is for you. ;)**

 **Also thank you to Dawofmorning for being very sweet too. :)**

 **Dongirl: I couldn't reply to you personally but THANK YOU for reviewing as well. I appreciate it.**

 **On to the story... We finally get to see who this mystery man is that I have been teasing you all with. :)**

 **This is was very difficult to write. :( It gets very disturbing. If this bothers you click out now. You've been warned.**

 **This is split up into two parts. Part two will be next chapter.**

 **I don't want to give too much away so I'll let you all go ahead and read. If you have questions, let me know. I'll try my best to answer what I can. :)**

 **With that, Lets go to the basement shall we?**

 **Enjoy!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3**

Chapter 3

By the time Sebastian had his bearings after being shoved down the second time, he found the emaciated, unstable guy huddled against the wall, almost in a fetal position. Seb found the flashlight and waved the light near him to get a better look. The guy was shaking and his arms were covering his head, like he was guarding himself from being hit. His legs were curled under him and there was a fresh urine smell.

However, Sebastian couldn't leave it like this. He reached behind him for his pack and found the first aid kit. Seb used the light to find some gauze, alcohol prep pads, and triple-antibiotic. A flash of unknown fear went through him when he thought of using the alcohol on fresh, perhaps infected wounds. Nevertheless, he had to try.

"Hey." Seb gently said. The guy didn't move. "Hey." Seb took a step closer and the guy jumped back even more if it were possible. "It's OK…. It's OK…" His kind words had no effect. That's when it dawned on him that he'd probably touched a nerve about the guy's mother. So, he tried a different route.

Suddenly, Sebastian made chewing sounds with his mouth. He even moaned a little, as if he was having the best meal of his life. Ridiculously, he kept this up, shining the light on his face, but not in a ghostly way. He just wanted the guy to see that he was enjoying a 'meal'.

Surprisingly, the guy stopped shaking and lowered one arm. So, Seb kept it up. He pretended to chew on the finest delicacy and even rubbed his belly. Seb wondered if he could produce a belch, as disgusting as that was to him. But as he went on and on, the guy began to lower his guard again. More chewing sounds, more 'good food' moaning, more belly rubbing…

The guy relaxed, staring at him. But he was also curious. In an astonishing movement, the guy suddenly crawled towards Seb, the chains that dragged on the floor no longer haunting Sebastian. After a few steps, the guy came to a halt near him.

"Good food!" Sebastian eagerly said. The guy blinked and opened his mouth. "Good food!" He repeated. "Good…food…good…food…good…food…"

"Goooooo fooooo"

"Yes! Seb exclaimed, rubbing his belly.

"Goooood foooood."

" _YES_!" Seb happily said. "Good food!"

"Good food!"

Sebastian smiled.

"Good food! Good food! Good food!"

Seb's smile faltered just a bit. "Want some more?"

"Mooooooore…."

Sebastian did a double take. The guy knew that word. _WELL, THAT'S WEIRD,_ Seb thought.

"More good food?"

The guy, rotted teeth and all, smiled so, so broadly! "Yeessssss!"

"OK! More good food!"

" _OAAAA_! More good food!"

Sebastian stood up and the guy frowned. But Seb just put his finger up as the guy stood up as well.

"Back." Seb said.

The guy smiled again! "More good food back!"

"That's right! I'll be right back!" Confidently, Sebastian turned and walked towards the staircase. And before Seb could say anything, the guy said that very same phrase. Sebastian chuckled, heavily amused, and went up the staircase. That's when it occurred to him that the guy had said his first complete sentence.

.

Sebastian was so out of breath he had to take a moment at the bottom of the basement stairs. He also had to adjust to incredible shift in light. Even in the evening time, that basement was as dark as a dungeon. He had a little bundle with him that he assembled from his home. Sebastian thought this would be a good time to get rid of some older canned good in his house. And he was right.

Sebastian walked over to the smiling guy, who didn't rear back when he arrived. Seb sat on the floor directly in front of him and unrolled the pack. But the man simply looked at it curiously.

"They're cans."

"Caaaan…."

"Cans."

The guy thought for a second and then brightened. "Cans!"

 _WELL, AT LEAST HE REMEMBERS THEM,_ Sebastian thought. So, his old can opener and paper plates were pulled out of an accompanying knapsack and within minutes, the guy had a veritable feast in front of him – canned corn, Spam, and white bread. Sure, it wasn't what Sebastian wanted and it wasn't even heated up. But the guy inhaled the food! Seb was astonished. But he also used the time to shine his flashlight around the room another time.

That annoying thing was still in his way. It looked rolled in carpet or something and was very heavy. But then, he shined it on something that would be a little problematic.

The guy's neck chain.

Sebastian checked the tools he left on the floor and it was as if they stared back at him cruelly. This would be a different challenge. He got knocked to the floor the first time he tried to free the guy. How could he change things?

"Good food?" Sebastian asked.

The guy smiled with his mouth full. "Gooo fooo!"

Sebastian chuckled and let him eat. In the meantime, he had to think of something!

"Free?"

The guy looked up at him, still eating.

"Free?"

"Freeeeeee."

"That's right. Free." And then, Seb pointed to his neck and then to the guy's neck. "Free?"

The man touched his neck harness. "Freeeee…" This was said much more despondently. Sebastian's heart ached for him. Oh God, he _HAD_ to do something!

So, Sebastian deftly grabbed the metal clippers and scooted a little closer to the chained man.

"I can make you free." Sebastian slowly said. The guy swallowed.

"Free?"

"Yes. Free. Can I free you?"

There was a moment just then when the guy simply looked at him. Sebastian could see the little battle in the guy's head and there was no way of knowing if he understood what Seb meant to do. So, Sebastian scooted closer. The guy did nothing. Closer. Nothing. Closer. Nothing.

Now, Sebastian could feel the guy's penetrating stare and fetid breath on his neck. Heartbeats raised and tension was way too thick. But this had to be done. It just had to be!

"Eat." Sebastian suggested. "And I will free you."

The guy blinked. Twice. He absently took some Spam and shoved it into his mouth. Seb ignored his revulsion and simply smiled.

"Cut now." Seb added, pointing to the guy's neck. He stopped chewing. "Cut." Seb repeated. "Cut. Cut. Cut." He even made scissors movement with his fingers.

It was as if floodgates of understanding had been opened. The guy heartily smiled and Sebastian dared to raise the metal clippers.

"Eat… Eat…"

"Eat… Eat…"

"Eat… Eat…"

Sebastian slowly raised the metal clippers.

"Eat… Eat…"

"Eat… Eat…"

"Free…"

"Freeeeeee…"

The clink of metal on rusted metal sung in the air. Sebastian then maneuvered his other hand to the bind and angled the clippers where they needed to be. Sweat dripped down Sebastian's brow and the eating guy seemed clueless. And suddenly, Sebastian went for it.

Snap! Some of the rusted metal tore away! The guy shook a little, just repeating 'eat', 'eat', 'eat', and he chomped at the revolting Spam.

Clank! More metal freed! The guy ate like a madman!

"C'mon! C'mon!" Sebastian whimpered. He cut, and cut, and cut. But he was only halfway done! And Seb had no idea if the guy was out of Spam or not.

He sheared at the metal, an ugly tearing noise in the dim light. Sebastian had positioned the flashlight too low and he couldn't see very well. But he just cut and cut and cut!

"Pleeeeease!" Seb wailed.

"Pleeeasshh." The guy echoed, mouth _STILL_ full of food.

And that's when it dawned on Seb. The guy was calm, letting him cut. But that didn't deter Sebastian – he didn't want to take any chances.

More cutting, more tearing, more ugly shearing noises! Sebastian was exhausted and his arms ached. The guy just sat there, shoving more food in his mouth.

 _SNAP!_

Suddenly, the clamp was cut and Sebastian yanked it! The guy was free. Seb was panting and reached for his flashlight. He held it up and sure enough – all chains were cut and this poor guy was free.

"You're f-free." He announced, in between breaths.

"Freeeeee." The guy said, still shoving food in his mouth. Sebastian looked down and saw that the last of the creamed corn was scooped by the guy's fingers into his mouth.

 _JUST IN TIME,_ Sebastian thought.

Then, he raised the flashlight to the guy's neck and immediately groaned.

Obvious signs of infection were all around the neck. Sores had developed and epidermal pus had formed near the right and left side. And as Sebastian inspected, the guy stared up at him. In fact, once, when Sebastian was across the guy's body looking at his neck, the guy leaned forward and sniffed him. Seb didn't even notice. But the guy seemed hypnotized.

"Ohhhh, this must hurt." Sebastian quietly said. He pulled back just as the guy was pulling back. "But you're free."

"Free?"

"Free."

And then, a thought occurred to Seb. He pointed to himself and said, "Sebastian."

The guy looked at him, puzzled. So, Seb repeated his full first name. No response. Seb shook his head and said, "Seb."

"Seeeee…"

"SeB."

"Seb."

"Yes!"

"Seb!" the guy proudly said.

"Yes!" He pointed to himself. "My name is Seb." And then, he pointed to him. "And you? What is your name?"

"Aaaaaaaa…."

"What?"

"D…aaaaaaa…"

Sebastian looked at him curiously. "Dan?"

He vehemently shook his head. "Daaaaaaaaaav….."

"Dave?"

And this time, Dave wildly shook his head! "Yeeeessss! Daaaaave!"

Sebastian laughed out loud joined by the suddenly free guy! They were incredibly happy and Seb felt like dancing or something. But that's when, as he shined the flashlight on Dave, he saw those awful wounds on his neck.

"I just hope those aren't gangrene." Sebastian quietly said. Dave just kept smiling. It was like he liked _ANY_ words that came out of Seb's mouth, regardless of understanding them or not.

Seb immediately turned around and reached for the first aid kit. He made sure everything was setup from before and sure enough, they were. He had everything he needed. And as exhaustion became a serious problem for him, he found a little burst in his desire to seriously help David. So, he did.

He grabbed the medical supplies and approached Dave. "Dave?" The guy looked up at him, just as Seb sat down. "I have to dress your neck wounds." Of course Dave didn't understand. So, Sebastian pointed to his neck. "Hurts?"

Dave put his hand up to his neck and winced. There was the answer.

"I can help." Sebastian said. No response. "Help."

"Hellllp?"

"Yes, I can help."

"OK!"

Sebastian was astonished! It was another clear response and he knew he was making progress. But every First Responder knows that when treating wounds, the one thing that kids (or, previously chained up guys for an unknown amount of time) hate sterilization. Everybody does. But it had to be done. So, somehow, Sebastian tried to figure out how to tell Dave that this would hurt. But amazingly, Dave beat him to the punch.

"Hurt?" Dave asked, pointing at the medical supplies.

"A little." Sebastian absently said. He ignored Dave and shined the flashlight on the infected areas. White pus had formed on many cuts but he didn't see any other dangerous symptoms. Not that he would've known exactly, but thanks to years of education, he knew when you saw lifethreatening issues. So far, this wasn't one of them.

So far.

Sebastian was all prepared to go. He had ripped the alcohol swabs and was ready. He repeated that it would hurt and Dave seemed to nod! So, Sebastian went for it on the nearest cut.

"Owwwwwwwww!"

"Shhh, shhh."

Dave seemed to look at him in wonder. It didn't deter the pain any, but Dave watched Sebastian as he worked on his neck. It must've stung fiercely for pus bubbles to form but nevertheless, Dave bore through it. And as he did so, Sebastian kept calmly whispering to him, even humming from time to time. And there was a strange kind of serenity amongst all the pain of sterilization. The kind you see when you have no other recourse and you accept your fate. Like a losing football team. Or accepting a job promotion. Or people on the Titanic.

Finally, Sebastian was done and he began the messy task of putting triple antibiotic on the wounds. This would soothe the pain and heal the infections. Well, Seb HOPED it would heal them. And for all he knew, Dave hoped it would too.

And after some time, Sebastian was done. He was sure, in the horrible lighting, that he'd done a poor job, but it would have to do. When he sat back, he put the cap back on the ointment tube and smiled at Dave. Dave's rotted teeth shined through the light. But this time, there was that same serenity again.

Sebastian had begun cleaning up, ignoring the annoying lump that tripped him numerous times. It stunk and it caused him some hip pain. But for now, he had more important issues _AGAIN_ to deal with.

Now, for the biggest task of them all.

"Upstairs?" Sebastian asked. Dave stared at him. Seb pointed up. "Upstairs?"

"Usttttrssss."

"Yes, upstairs." Seb stifled a yawn.

"Upstairs!"

 _THAT_ woke Sebastian up! Dave clearly said a multi-syllable word. But he did it so quickly.

"Well, aren't you the bright one." Seb said. And then, he got down to business. "Alright, come on. Let's go upstairs."

Dave, of course, didn't understand. So, Seb pointed up again and even headed towards the stairs. "Want to go upstairs?"

Dave cautiously looked up at the ceiling of the basement, obviously considering what Sebastian offered. But when he looked back, Seb was amazed at the fear in his eyes.

"Mo-…..mommmaaa?"

Seb frowned. "No. There's no momma upstairs. No momma upstairs."

Dave looked around, a little befuddled. He didn't exactly know what to do next and looked to Seb. So, Seb reached for Dave's arm. It was absolutely sickening how skinny the arms were and he didn't want to dislocate his shoulder. So, he gently coaxed him up.

"Come on… Come on…."

Dave looked up at him, the flashlight showing the way. Finally, Dave maneuvered to stand for the first time in who knows how long. And when he tried, Sebastian almost vomited.

The body odor. The fecal matter that fell from Dave's body. The urine that dribbled away. The bones cracking in Dave's body. It almost overwhelmed them both. Dave held firm to Sebastian and the other boy didn't let go. Dave whimpered in pain and never completely stood up. But he did, in a hunched way, stand like a home erectus there in the dank basement. Shaky legs almost made him collapse, but Sebastian used his other hand to support his extremely bony waist. That made Dave howl even more and yet the previously chained guy looked at him in wonder. Sebastian nodded and he continued to guide Dave to a straight up and down posture.

It turned out Dave was taller than Sebastian. By at least six inches! But Dave was still shaky and a little unsure of himself. And Seb struggled to comprehend how he'd help the guy out of the basement. But greater challenges had been presented to him before and he KNEW he'd get this done.

"Ready to go upstairs?"

"Reaaaaddeeeeeee!"

Sebastian smirked.

.

 **AN: We are almost out of the basement. :)**

 **How many guessed it was Dave down there? Poor Dave. :(**

 **More on why he was chained up as this goes on. Part two will be up soon. I'll try to get it posted soon.**

 **I would like to hear what you guys think will happen next? What did you think overall? Have a Nice Day!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hello Everyone,**

 **Before I get started on the story, I'd love to thank Dawofmorning for reviewing. Also thank you KDesai for your last review. That was really sweet! Thanks for the support.**

 **OK... Now on to the story. This chapter deals in VERY graphic detail of abuse. If this bothers you, you have been warned. Its VERY dark and disturbing.**

 **Dave's father and mother are mentioned some in this chapter.**

 **I hope this answers some questions you all have.**

 **Diary pages are written in bold italics. All I wanted to say.-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3**

 **Chapter 4**

His back hurt. He couldn't remember the last time he had physically worked this hard in his life. Then again, he probably didn't care. All he knew, as fatigue was seriously becoming a problem for the both of them, is that he _HAD_ to get this done. He just had to. For _BOTH_ of their benefit.

Step by step by momentous, painful step, Sebastian walked with Dave up the basement stairs. The wooden steps themselves seemed to groan and complain with them, and both boys were out of breath. In fact, they had to take numerous breaks. Sebastian wondered if Dave was getting his resolve to go upstairs for the first time in who knows how long…

The flashlight wavered in front of them, a strange beacon of hope – a trail to their final destination, like a fateful GPS. Sebastian held Dave's arm firmly around his shoulder. Years of disuse had made Dave's legs basically useless and they wobbled as he walked. Nevertheless, Sebastian had to admire Dave's determination to get to the first floor of this old haunted house. Sebastian smiled to himself about that. He would have so much to tell Joel the next day about how haunted this house really was. But what _COULD_ he tell anyone?

Finally, they reached the top.

"R-ready?" Sebastian asked.

Dave took many breaths before he answered. "Re-re-re-reaaddddddeeee."

Sebastian pushed the door open.

It was as if Dave was stepping back in a time machine. Once he got his bearings, he was able to take a few wobbly steps into the hallway. Sebastian closed the door behind him and stood near Dave, making sure he wouldn't fall. But the previously chained guy didn't fall. Far from it. Instead, he started howling!

"Stop that!" Sebastian yelled.

Dave instantly stilled and looked at him. Seb tried to smile and Dave turned back around, looking at the hallway, the kitchen, the ceiling, the staircase, anywhere he could. Seb found himself leaning against the wall, almost in admiration of Dave, who was like a kid in a candy store. Little things made him curious – wall outlets, cobwebs, dust bunnies, his own steps. Some big things did too – like the banister, and even the old sofa in the living room where he wound up. Sebastian followed.

"Mommmmmaaaaa?"

Sebastian froze, just a few feet behind Dave. Dave called out again. "Mommmmaaa?" There was a slight wailing to the sound and Sebastian found he couldn't stand it, but didn't know what to do.

"She's not here."

"Mommmmmmaaaaaaaa?!" It grew louder and louder, both in intensity and volume. Over and over until Sebastian almost covered his ears. He had _PROMISED_ that his mom was nowhere around. And yet, Dave needed some kind of distraction.

Frustrated, Sebastian let his hands flop from his ears and back down to his hips. And that's when he felt something in his pocket that would hopefully distract Dave – his cell phone. He immediately snatched it and punched in the code.

"Here! Dave!"

Sebastian walked up to Dave and handed him his cell phone. Dave stilled looking at it wondrously, even smiling a little at the lights. Sebastian pressed one of the Aps and Dave giggled. He considered showing Dave how to text but that would've been too complex for him. So, instead, he just let Dave use the phone to calm him down. The phone put out a strange, eerie glow in the room. And as Dave explored and giggled, Sebastian backed away from him and watched the show unfold.

Dave completely forgot about Sebastian's existence for the time being. So, Sebastian used his flashlight to look around the place a little more. And as he waved the invading light around the old house, he realized he hadn't gone upstairs.

The staircase creaked and groaned almost as badly as the basement stairs. Sebastian was a little worried that the noise would distract Dave. But after a quick check, he heard Dave giggle and Sebastian resumed his course.

He emerged into a once-grand second floor. Sconces and even old gaslights adorned the walls that seemed to have some embroidered wallpaper. The crown molding was falling apart yet spoke of wealth. Several closed doors were to his right, with one in front of him, and another to the left. After the left door proved to be a bathroom and the front door a closet, he went to the other rooms in the house. There was nothing interesting about either of the rooms until he opened the last door.

The master bedroom. A glorious four-poster bed raised on a dais made Sebastian gasp. A pretty Victorian vanity was in one corner and the other corner had various chest of drawers in Edwardian and possibly even Art Deco styles. He was so in awe of his surroundings that he completely disregarded that there didn't seem to be a boy's bedroom.

As he walked in the master bedroom, the floorboards creaked ferociously and he had to be careful so he wouldn't fall through. He had no idea how old this house was but it had once been a source of opulence and status. Sebastian searched through the chest of drawers and didn't find anything interesting. And as he headed towards the vanity, one of the floorboards broke!

He almost fell through. But he caught himself, and after shining the light into the crevasse, he yanked his foot free and started to walk away. And yet, something caught his attention.

It was dusty and could've fallen apart in his hands. But as he pulled the little black book from the floor, he realized it was a diary…

 **February 14th**

 **Today is Valentine's Day. The day for lovers. Love. Fuck love.**

 **Who needs love when love leaves you? The minute my fucking husband finds out I'm pregnant the fucker leaves. Fuck him. Old bastard. Who needs him?**

 **June 2nd**

 **The bastard inside me is kicking and fucking annoying me. I just w** **ant to smoke a cigarette or drink some bourbon or take one of m** **y tranquilizers. But they SAY it'll effect the bastard. I'm wondering…**

 **Will anyone care what I think?**

 **October 30th**

 **Damn it's hard to get around! I'm trying to keep my job and my fucking sa** **nity but this fucking bastard inside me keeps fucking with me. Who s** **aid it'd be easy being a single parent? God? Well, fuck God! Who needs him?!**

 **November 3rd**

 **Well, David Alan Karofsky was born. The little fucker was hard to g** **et out of me too. Don't care. Want a cigarette.**

Sebastian skipped ahead a few pages. He didn't want to read anymore of this horrific stuff but at the same time, he needed to know. He attuned his ears and could still hear Dave giggling downstairs. Sebastian couldn't help but smile at that. He used his flashlight and carefully pulled up an old, oak chair that looked sturdy. Sure enough, the wood fought him a little, but held. So, Sebastian kept reading, skipping ahead a few years…

 **April 19th**

 **WHAT THE FUCK?! That fucker cannot fire me! They don't h** **ave shit on me! How DARE THEY FIRE ME! I swear to** **Christ they have NO EVIDENCE THAT I STOLE FROM THAT** **FUCKING DUMBASS COMPANY!**

 **I need to think. I need to think. I need to think.**

 **April 20th**

 **Oh diary! I feel soooo much better! I feel VINDICATED! I will n** **ot accept the blame for what they did to me. It's just too bad t** **hat that fucking boss had to die. I lost count after fifteen stab wo** **unds but who cares? He got what was coming to him and his p** **retty little secretary, who I'm SURE he was fucking, got the blame f** **or it! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! Oh I kn** **ow she'll be in prison forever! Oh shit. That fucking bastard of mine is crying again. I need to think. I need to think. I need to think.**

 **May 1st**

 **I have a new focus in life! WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!**

 **I know what to do! I KNEW what I had to do! I had to do this!**

 **NOW I feel calmer, diary. I feel soooooooooo GOOOOOOOD!**

 **Just wait. You'll see. Fuckin' bastard.**

 **May 2nd**

 **So, I made a graph. I used my accounting experience to draw this c** **hart. Don't worry, diary. NO ONE will find it. Or that bastard David.**

 **I know what to do. Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee!**

 **May 3rd**

 **The fucker is crying again. FUCK YOU! I'm so tired of his c** **omplaining. So, I threw him down the basement stairs.**

 **May 4th**

 **Diary I woke up with a TERRIFIC headache today but now I'm OK.**

 **That bastard Dave kept banging on the basement door wanting out.**

 **Fuck him. So remember that graph? Well I came up with a game.**

 **If he bangs on the door again I hit him. Two points. If he begs for f** **ood, three points. If he wants to piss or shit, five points. Then I d** **raw this graph and show how well I'm doing! I'm soooooooooooo** **HAPPY!**

 **May 5th**

 **The boy is crying. Don't care. I wonder how long HE'LL play this game** **With me. We'll see, diary. We'll see. In the mean time, I want to go t** **o the hardware store. I have an idea for making this game that much be** **tter! More bulletins as events warrant!**

 **May 6th**

 **WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THIS SOONER?! Now, Dave can't go** **anywhere! I can deal with him as I please. It took me a hot minute t** **o get them to work but who needs a man around when I can do this ju** **st fine! FUCK MEN! I put Dave in chains! HA HA HA HA HA HA!**

 **Now that fucker can just wail ALL HE WANTS! In fact, maybe I'll make t** **hat a graph too. Let's see. How do I quantify volume of cries?**

 **May 7th**

 **Dave tried to swing at me today! THAT FUCKIN' BASTARD! So I t** **aught him but good! I took away his food and his toys! HA HA HA HA!**

 **And then I smiled at him and said, 'now be a good boy!' HA HA HA HA!**

 **If that fucker tries to hit me tomorrow, I'll be better prepared for it.**

That was it. The diary ended. The flashlight involuntarily shook in his hand as he read the last entry. He had no idea what to make of how it ended but that was it. The end of the road. And Sebastian had way too much information for his brain to deal with. Exhaustion now made him a little dizzy and he had to get out of there!

Shoving the diary into his back pocket, he hastily made his way down the hall and down the stairs. And when he reached the first floor, he saw Dave, this innocent boy, this victim of horrific circumstance, still staring at the phone screen as if it was the best invention in the world. Sebastian couldn't understand the cruelty, the hate, the sheer evilness of a mother who always swore to love her children no matter what.

Suddenly, Dave turned to him and smiled even wider. And for the first time in practically all of Sebastian's life, he felt something he hadn't felt. It crushed and devastated him. It brought reality to his once peaceful, boring, ordinary life and made him more of a man.

Sebastian felt tears on his cheeks.

.

 **AN: That was intense. :(**

 **If you have questions let me know. Please review. Please be kind. -ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hi Everyone! First off, THANK YOU ALL for supporting me! It means a lot! :)**

 **I once again apologize for this chapter being so late.**

 **As I said in my "Starting Over" story in the last chapter posted, I am taking a break from fanfiction to due to personal family issues but I did have time to write this and wanted to post ASAP!**

 **Anyway this starts where last chapter ended.**

 **I don't want to spoil too much, so if you got questions, let me know. :)**

 **Please review. Please be kind.**

 **Have a great day!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3**

 **Chapter 5**

One was smiling. The other was heartbroken. There couldn't have been two young men on different planes of existence, standing there in that dark foyer and living room. Dave giddily held the cell phone while Sebastian clung to the diary. There was a feeling of disconnect with Sebastian, as if love and hate intertwined in the darkest of ways. He watched this incredibly skinny guy in front of him, goofily smiling as if life had always been happy. It hadn't, of course, but in that moment, when does life ever promise to be kind?

Sebastian took a step towards him and then crossed the threshold of the living room. Dave returned to the cell phone, watching the pretty lights. Sebastian watched the reflection on his face, producing a ghostly image of electronic data on Dave's boyish, hollow cheeks. Sebastian braved one more step before an angst-like sound escaped his mouth.

Dave looked up, saw his new friend's stricken expression, and dropped the phone on the coffee table. Immediately, he could see Sebastian's tears fall and he hated it. But he didn't quite know what to do. Whenever his favorite rat was in pain, Dave always found a way to make it laugh. So, that's what he tried.

Suddenly, Dave began a goofy, ape-like dance. He hopped on one leg, placing his hands on his head and making the 'oooh, oooh, oooh!' sound of a chimpanzee. Sebastian merely looked at him and Dave came to a halt.

The office worker turned away, placing a delicate finger over his mouth. He stared at the dust bunnies along the floor, not really looking at them. Suddenly, he felt bony arms around him.

Dave held him as best he knew how. He was taller than Sebastian, but very much thinner. Years of near starvation pushed Dave's cellular structure to their limits, but that did not prevent him from trying to comfort the crying boy in front of him. Sebastian could feel the protruding bones against him and hated it. He suddenly felt angry – he _HATED_ Dave's mother. He hated what Dave went through. He hated how Dave suffered. He just hated. Hate, hate, hate!

Sebastian whirled around, wanting so, so desperately to yell or scream or break something… But all he could see was this vulnerable, suddenly sad, bony boy in front of him. In the end, all Sebastian could do was look away. Dave didn't like this. Not one bit.

"Sad." Dave simply said. Sebastian looked up at him and didn't respond. "Sad. Sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad-"

Sebastian darted around him, easily getting out of Dave's grasp. He ignored the pained sound Dave made, probably from the atrophied muscles in the arms that tried to hold him. And this just made Sebastian feel even worse. He reached for his cell phone and walked past Dave, towards the door.

"Come on, Dave." Seb sadly said. "We're leaving."

Dave blinked and didn't seem to understand. For nearly two decades, this dilapidated structure was his home, his security, his food source, and his survival. Now, he was being asked to leave. And Sebastian's patience had been pushed to the limit.

"Come on!" the office worker yelled. "We're going!"

Dave whined a little and took a step towards him. Sebastian opened the door and Dave came to a halt. The skinny boy's eyes couldn't have gotten wider when he spied the moon in the sky, the chill in the air, the dark unkept grass, and everything that the night offered to human beings. He shrunk back a little and was surprised when Sebastian roughly grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the door!

Dave shrieked and fell on all fours. He stared at his surroundings like a trapped animal. The boy's head darted between the porch, the wind, porch, moon, breeze, moon, and bravely back up to Sebastian. The other boy seemed perplexed and couldn't understand why Dave was so hesitant. Dave squinted into the moonlight, hoping to see better but had to shield his eyes. A different breeze blew his body odor towards Sebastian and he had to stifle his nausea. A pained, terrified, whine escaped Dave's throat and he all but tore the door down to get back in the house.

Incredibly annoyed, Sebastian rushed back into the house, only to find Dave's emaciated form shaking on the floor in a fetal position. The boy had his hands over his eyes and was shaking like a terrified rabbit. Suddenly, Sebastian understood.

But that didn't make it any easier. He had had a very difficult night and wasn't in the mood anymore to be tolerant. And yet, Sebastian Smythe had very little choice.

"Here." Sebastian said, producing a bedsheet. "Take this." He dropped it and it effortlessly fell on the scared boy. But that didn't seem to make a difference.

"What the hell is the matter with you?!" Seb yelled. Dave shrieked. "Stop that! Stop that this instant, young man!"

Abruptly, Dave went silent, but his shaking continued. Severely annoyed, Sebastian reached down for Dave's arm and when it made contact, a feral roar escaped Dave's mouth.

For the very first time, Dave growled with the intent to kill in his eyes at his new friend. Sebastian was stunned!

"OK… OK…" Sebastian fearfully said, holding his hands up. "OK, Dave. You… You can stay here." Dave suspiciously glared at him. "It's OK, Dave. It really is. It's…OK."

Dave stared at him, the prey to the predator. The fighter who finally fought. An old Western standoff ensued as they stared at each other. Finally, reason won. Dave quickly stood up and ran to the couch in the living room, with the clean sheet. He flopped on it, letting the years of dust, mold, spider webs, and other disgusting allergens fly in the air. Sebastian sighed and took a step into the living room.

"I'll come back tomorrow." Seb said.

"Noooooooo! Staaaaaay!"

"Dave, I've had a really rough day!" Dave growled and Sebastian relented. He slowly approached the boy on the couch, which only intensified Dave's response. Finally, Sebastian stopped, not understanding why Dave's aggressiveness contradicted his desire to stay. Everything was confusing and nothing made sense. He was too far out of his element and he just needed sleep too. He looked over and saw Dave's eyelids getting droopy too.

"Sleep, Dave." Sebastian softly said. "Sleep. Back tomorrow."

"Back?" Dave said, lifting his head hopefully.

"Yes. Back. Tomorrow."

"Back?"

"Yes, back."

"Back? Back? Back?"

"Sleep, Dave. Sleep."

"Back, back, back, back, back, back, ba-!"

"Sleep! Now!"

Dave went silent and Sebastian felt like he could breathe. The skinny boy fell back on the couch and curled himself under the strange cotton. An odd silence fell on the room suddenly and within a few seconds, Dave's snores filled the room. Sebastian started laughing! He just couldn't believe everything that had happened to him in just the past few hours. Searching through his belongings, he found another sandwich and left it on the coffee table. He hoped Dave would understand it was for him and he'd eat it.

And in that moment, as the moon invaded the shoddy curtains, Sebastian could see Dave's sleeping form. His chest rose and fell with his respirations and there was something sad about it all. Dave seemed to struggle for air, as if his lungs had been damaged by the years of confinement…

Sebastian was overwhelmed. He suddenly turned, walked out the door, and closed it. And as he mounted his bike towards his own home, he stared up at the moonlight one more time.

"I should've been an anthropologist."

.

The next morning, Sebastian called off work. Despite his disdain for his job, he rarely did that. His supervisor didn't seem to have a problem with it, but then again, Sebastian knew he wouldn't. After all, Sebastian's dad basically owned the company and if the sudden anthropologist wanted to take the day off, he could take the goddamn day off.

Instead, Sebastian looked out his window, sipping his coffee. Off in the distance, he could see the house in the distance that revealed an enormous secret. It looked like the house in 'Psycho'. After a smooth gulp of the slightly sweet, black liquid, he felt a variety of emotions – fear, , trepidation, anxiety, happiness, responsibility…

Responsibility. There was something almost foreign to him about that. How often does a guy in his 20s find himself in this situation? A boy had been found there. He was severely malnourished and lacked social education. When he was a teen, he saw the movie 'Nell' and he suddenly understood what Jodie Foster was up against – how in the world would he do that?

Of course, that brought up another question as he drank his coffee. He crossed the room and looked at the nice array of clothes for his day. The Ralph Lauren shirt looked at him along with his Lagerfeld pants. Hardly clothes he could wear to an old haunted house. And also clothes he couldn't wear if he were to report Dave to the police.

Oh, the police. Now _THERE_ was a particularly difficult problem. He didn't want to rehash it, but with as much help as Dave would need, how could he not? Social services would get involved. And the courts. Dave was already freaked out enough. How in the world could the damaged boy handle all of that?

Sebastian shook his head. He couldn't stand how his life was so comfortable and Dave struggled to breathe when he slept. And what if Sebastian's parents found out? Or, God forbid, the worst alternative of them all – the press. He could see the 'Lima News' reporters scaring the poor, vulnerable boy to the point of extremism. Sebastian feared he would be declared a hero. And Dave would suffer for this all. Round and round he went with his thoughts and he threw his coffee in the sink. Thoughts became a maelstrom of confusion and angst.

 **That's great, it starts with an earthquake**

 **Birds and snakes, and aeroplanes**

 **And Lenny Bruce is not afraid**

 **Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn**

 **World serves its own needs,**

 **Don't mis-serve your own needs**

 **Speed it up a notch, speed, grunt, no, strength,**

 **The ladder starts to clatter**

 **With a fear of height, down, height**

 **Wire in a fire, represent the seven games**

 **And a government for hire and a combat site**

 **Left her, wasn't coming in a hurry**

 **With the Furies breathing down your neck**

 **Team by team, reporters baffled, trumped, tethered, cropped**

 **Look at that low plane, fine, then**

 **Uh oh, overflow, population, common group**

 **But it'll do, save yourself, serve yourself**

 **World serves its own needs, listen to your heart bleed**

 **Tell me with the Rapture and the reverent in the right, right**

 **You vitriolic, patriotic, slam fight, bright light**

 **Feeling pretty psyched**

 **It's the end of the world as we know it**

 **It's the end of the world as we know it**

 **It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine**

The last line was sung in a whisper. He glanced at his surroundings. The kitchen was pristine, with new Westinghouse appliances and a clean floor. He looked at his fine window and could see through the gossamer, purple curtains the old 'Psycho' house beyond. With a clear heavy sigh, Sebastian prepared to return once again to the world of anthropology.

The cute office worker put away his fancy clothes in favor of more practical ones – blue jean shorts and a white t-shirt. He smirked to himself, thinking of how clubby he must've looked to the outside world. As he put on some old lawnmowing shoes, he couldn't believe he was actually choosing to wear these clothes. His parents would never want to see him like that.

 **C'mon drift away through fundamental boundaries**

 **To find ourselves surrounding**

 **The ones who've already gone and come back stronger**

 **All is numb**

 **I've been lost too long**

 **My fate's been mistakenly chosen**

 **All is numb**

 **Yeah I've done you wrong**

 **My fate's been mistakenly chosen**

The haunting lyrics soothed him in an odd way. He found himself not even checking if his hair was perfect as he closed the back door of the house. Finding his bicycle, he sang more of the dark song…

 **Here you'll stay**

 **Where lies are spread wide open**

 **And ties are not so strong**

 **That place you'll never find me**

 **I've already gone**

 **I guess my thinking too much is what's been fuckin' me up**

 **It's my own worst enemy, but**

 **It will never own me.**

 **Who am I kidding anyway?**

An odd smile filled his face as the 'Psycho' house loomed above him. He wheeled towards the shoddy entrance and once again, almost crashed his bike. But he held it together and realized he had a job to do. Dave needed him. Sebastian let his bike fall to the ground like a little kid would and proceeded into the house. He didn't even bother to knock. Instead, he opened the door and hated that he forgot his antihistamine medicine.

The house was pretty much as he left it. Dust was everywhere and it was hot as hell. Sebastian closed the door and walked through the foyer into the living room. The sandwich laid untouched and a twinge of disappointment shot through him. But Dave was not on the couch.

"Dave?" He called out. No response. He walked towards the kitchen but knew his allergies wouldn't survive too much exposure. He took a quick and wild look throughout the room and didn't see him. "Dave? Dave?" Again, no response. He rounded through the dining room, the living room, and back into the foyer. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked down the hall.

That's when he saw Dave on the floor.

The painfully skinny boy was lying amongst the dust bunnies just outside the basement door. Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief and walked over towards him. He could see Dave, lying on his side, hands folded boyishly over his heart. And when Sebastian arrived, he looked down.

Something was wrong. Something was _VERY_ wrong. Dave was not only struggling to breathe but had sweat beads on his forehead. It could've been a coincidence since it was so hot and stuffy in that house. But as Sebastian looked him over, a funny and very different odor emanated from the boy.

"Dave? Dave?" He stooped down and put his hand on the boy's arm. Dave didn't even stir. In fact, Sebastian almost yanked his hand off when he felt how hot Dave was. He looked him over and was absolutely horrified.

Several of his wrist wounds were bloody and pus-laden. The swelling seemed to choke his hands, they were so pale. Dave's labored breathing only seemed to intensify with Sebastian's gentle touch. And the horrible, bubbling neck wounds dripped onto the floor, choking off Dave's throat and making it extremely difficult to breathe.

And then, Sebastian's eyes widened. He saw the one thing you never want to see, the true sign that there is a serious problem and that a life could be in danger…

Dave's wrist wound on the right hand was shiny and greenish-yellow. It didn't take a doctor to understand what was happening to the poor skinny boy.

"Gangrene." Seb muttered. He read about it in health class but thought it was so rare that no one could ever get it again. But Sebastian's expression soured when he considered that Dave's mother probably never got Dave immunized to fight that infection.

Dave's pulse was high.

Dave's blood pressure could've exploded.

Dave's head was so, so hot to the touch.

Dave was in trouble!

Sebastian shot up to a standing position and thanked the gods above that he remembered his cell phone. Firing the numbers on his keypad, he very impatiently waited for the person on the other end to respond. This person would help him with this battle, this boy who deserved to live, this poor, poor boy who was a victim of circumstance well beyond his control. And Seb knew the person on the other line could help.

"Hello?! Hello?!" Seb yelled into the phone. "Get here quick! I need your help! He's hurt _BADLY! HELP MEEEE!"_

.

 **AN: Poor Dave. Sorry to leave it on a cliffhanger. But I figured this was a good place to stop. ;)**

 **Who do you think Sebastian is calling? What did you think so far?**

 **Questions? Let me know. As for now, I am still on a break and don't know when I'll officially be back. Hopefully this is enough for now. Again, THANK YOU ALL for being so much patient with me. I know I am not the best at consistent (I try) posts but I DO appreciate your guys support for my stories. Thank you with all my heart. With that, Have a great day!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hi Everyone! :)**

 **I am SOOOO SORRY I haven't updated this in a long time.**

 **Writer's block is a bitch. Lol!**

 **Thank you to everyone that supports me.**

 **We are back where we left off last chapter. Who did Sebastian call? Please read to find out. :)**

 **I'll try to post more often but I'm still recovering from my hospital visit so I'll try to post. But no promises.**

 **Please review. Please be kind.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Have a great day!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3**

 **Chapter 6**

Ding, dong!

Sebastian ran to the door and opened it wide. Joel stood there, looking slightly annoyed. A soft breeze tussled his dark hair a little and his piercing blue eyes glared at his work friend.

"This had better be good, Sebastian." Joel said, crossing the threshold.

Sebastian shut the door behind him and walked past him. "It is. Come in."

Joel noticed how nervous Sebastian was and followed. "Why did you need me to come over now? And why did you need me to bring my old EMT bag?"

Just then, Joel got his answer. On the living room couch, Dave lied panting into the air. His belly receded, skin pale, and he was sweating like a madman.

"Oh, fuck this!" Joel said, turning to leave. But Sebastian grabbed his arm.

"C'mon man! I found him like this!"

"Well then, take him to the hospital!"

"I can't!"

"Why not?!"

"Because…!" Sebastian began, but faltered. How could he explain everything that transpired in the past two days? How does one understand a situation like this? It just couldn't happen and in the end, Sebastian just pushed for what he wanted. Like usual.

"C'mon, Joel! Just look him over."

Joel glanced at the suffering boy on the couch and then right back to Sebastian. "You owe me, big time."

"Yes, I do."

"I mean, I want filet mignon, and I-"

"Yes, yes, no go over to him."

"-want a new Xbox and I can't even begin to understand-!"

"Just look him over."

"-why in the hell he's here or who he is, but he better not have something really serious."

Sebastian steered him towards Dave.

"And another thing," Joel added. "I want barbecue ribs. And good beer. I can't really eat ribs without some kind of good German or Belgian beer. And when I-"

"Just look him over, Joel!"

The former EMT looked down at his "patient". He sighed. Sebastian did too, standing over them. And then, Joel got to work.

He started with the basics – airways, breathing, blood pressure, pulse, etc. Dave didn't even react to Joel's touch. He just lied there, staring at the ceiling, wrapped in his fever, sweat, and suffering. Meanwhile, Joel checked things over and removed his scopes.

"How long has he been like this?" Joel seriously asked.

"A day. I think." Sebastian was biting his fingernails.

Joel turned Dave's head roughly and scowled. "How in the _WORLD_ did he get these marks?"

"I'll tell you later. But is it…what I think it is?"

"Yes." Joel quickly said. "But lemme see something… By the way, what have you given him?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yeah."

"Shit, Sebastian! Not even aspirin?!"

"I didn't know what to do! And I can't take him to a hospital!"

Joel realized there was more to this story, but he let it go. For now. "Alright. I can give him something mild for the pain and I can help treat his…injuries. But if he doesn't show improvement in the next twenty-four hours, he's in serious trouble. The gangrene has already spread throughout his blood stream." And then, he glared at Sebastian. "He should've been treated sooner."

"Joel, I swear to God, I will tell you everything later, but just help him the best you can."

"Alright."

Sebastian was surprised when Joel was done. It didn't take very long. Dave was able to swallow the acetaminophen and take in more water. A pitcher was placed near him and Dave was able to swallow another glass of the clear liquid. When Joel noticed that Dave didn't squirm when he cleaned the wound with hydrogen peroxide, he was silently worried. After applying some antibiotic cream, there really wasn't much more he could do. He checked Dave's vitals one more time and there wasn't much improvement. Nevertheless, Dave seemed more comfortable and that was something. Joel turned to Sebastian and waved him to the other room. Sebastian complied.

When they arrived in the kitchen, Joel turned to him. "I mean it, man. Sushi, roasted duck in a risotto reduction, flaming hog balls, and ooooh, some escargot would be-"

"Just fucking tell me!" Sebastian yelled.

Joel cleared his throat. "Sebastian, he's not good. He's underweight and it's obvious the infection has spread. His fever is still really high and he seems unable to retain water. Whatever he went through, it damn near killed him. And I don't think…" he glanced at the sick man and then right back to his friend, "I can do anything more for him. We'll have to just watch him and see what happens tomorrow."

Sebastian was clearly not happy with this news. Yes, Joel was a former EMT, but that's better than nothing. A doctor was simply out of the question. Joel watched him carefully, seeing Sebastian in another world.

"Helloooo! Sebastian! Come back to the five and dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean!"

"Oh shut up." He muttered, very clearly worried about all of this. He scooted around Joel and watched Dave's semi-shaking body from the kitchen.

"Sebastian."

He turned around. "Yes?"

"Talk. What's going on here?"

So, he did. Sebastian told him everything that happened. Everything about the chains, rats, broken English, sick diary, dilapidated house full of allergens, and anything else he could remember. Joel listened carefully, digesting all of the words. Finally, Sebastian was done and Joel stood there silently.

"See why I couldn't take him to a hospital?" Sebastian asked.

"Yes." Joel seriously said. " _NOW_ I do. But Sebastian, what can you do?"

"Huh?"

"I mean," he glanced at Dave and back to Sebastian. His voice lowered a little. "I mean, he could die. I know you don't want to face that but-"

"No! He won't die!"

Joel watched his friend near panting. He realized Sebastian had some other kind of interest in this situation and the fact that he even pulled this sick man into his house spoke volumes of Sebastian's true heart. Joel realized this and narrowed his eyes.

"Alright, Sebastian. We'll keep an eye on him. We have to make sure he eats good food and gets plenty of water. And I'll-"

"I'm on it!" Sebastian yelled.

Immediately, he darted around the former EMT and pulled some ingredients out of the refrigerator. Joel watched him, curious about everything and nothing. So, with nothing to do, he merely retreated back into the room to watch Dave. There wasn't much he could do. Sure, he could check Dave's vitals and his dressings. Other than that, he just stood there like a nurse – on the ready.

Meanwhile, Sebastian came in with a bowl of something steaming and smelling delicious. Joel could see that it looked like minestrone soup. He took a polite step back as Sebastian kneeled down in front of the sick man.

"Dave?" Sebastian whispered.

No response.

"Dave?"

There was a flicker of eye movement and nothing else. Joel softly sighed.

"Sebastian, rest is good for him too. Let him rest."

"But he needs to eat!"

Joel placed a polite hand on Seb's shoulder. "I know. And he will. But not now. Save that soup."

Sebastian looked down at the floor and didn't want to accept what his friend said. Instead, he thought of how Dave survived hell only to possibly be killed by invisible killers. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair!

"You could give that soup to me?" Joel lightly said.

"Oh, shut up."

Joel chuckled, removed his hand, and retreated to the kitchen. Sebastian watched him go, secretly relieved that someone was helping this situation. But then, he turned his attention back to his newfound friend. Sebastian could barely stand how Dave looked. Here lied the boy that smiled with Spam, a flashlight, and a cell phone. Sebastian smiled at the memory. In fact, he was even scared by this now nearly unconscious boy and he couldn't believe all of this. This was just too insane! And yet, here it was – live and in Technicolor.

Dave shifted a little as he struggled to breathe. His gaunt chest rose up and down rapidly and Seb hated it. Dave's spindly legs were propped up to help with blood flow and he just seemed like a lightbulb trying to turn off. He jerked, twisted, and even flickered in a way. And then went still. Like a mini-spasm. And Seb sat there, completely helpless.

Not really knowing what to do, he touched Dave's hand. The bones jutted out and there were very few veins. Blood is life, like Dracula said, and Dave seemed to need more.

"Joel? Joel?!"

The former paramedic ran into the living room. "Joel, does he need a blood transfusion?"

Joel shook his head. "I doubt it. You don't know his blood type and his body could reject it. It's best just to let him rest."

Sebastian hated that answer and turned back towards his new friend. He kneeled down and gently clasped Dave's hand into his own. Sebastian stared at it, falling into despair and doubt. The poor abused boy was no better, or so it seemed, and there wasn't anything Sebastian could do.

Sebastian gently squeezed. Dave's breathing suddenly became more regular. And Joel watched from afar, a knowing look of appreciation on his face. And just as the former paramedic turned back into the kitchen, he could've sworn he saw Sebastian Smythe, the spoiled rich brat, actually crying.

.

 **AN: I promise when I'm fully recovered to post as much as I can... Until then thank you all for reading! Have a great day!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3**


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